Source: UNCTAD, Review of Maritime Transport.

World Tonnage by Cargo Vessel Type, 1970-2009 (in millions dwt)

For decades, oil tankers and bulk carriers have accounted for the dominant share of the world's tonnage. Their service configuration is relatively simple as they perform point-to-point services with the return trip empty because of their cargo specialization (e.g. oil, iron ore, grain). Since 2005, the world tonnage has grown by 33% from 896 million to 1,192 million deadweight tons, propelled by a surge in global trade. This questions the sustainability of this growth and will confer a situation of overcapacity, particularly for ontainerized shipping which has grown by 65% for the same period (from 98 to 162 million deadweight tons).

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